“Oh, yeah. Well, could I keep it in the tree house until we found it a home?”

“Sure, I guess. Why? Did you find a little lost kitten?” his dad chuckled.

“Kind of…” Wilbur said, walking away. Wilbur walked to the far back of the backyard to a smoldering crater with pieces of a rocket ship in it. Next to the crater was a calico cat wearing a fancy jeweled collar. “My dad won’t let me keep you but said you could stay until we do find you a home,” Wilbur said to the cat.

“Oh, well, I guess that’s better than nothing,” the cat replied.

“So your name is Kolak?” Wilbur asked the calico, now in Wilbur’s tree house behind the main house. “And what are you doing here?”

“I was sent by my planet’s High Emperor to evaluate humans, unfortunately I misjudged the landing so now I’m stuck here,” the cat explained.

“That’s too bad. Well, you can stay here until we can find you some other place to stay.”

“I appreciate that but I can’t put a burden on you or anybody else. Technically, I’m not even supposed to let on that I can talk.”

“Hate to say it but you’re doing a bad job of that,” Wilbur chuckled. “Look it’s no problem, you can stay up here until we can find you a place to stay and then you can be a normal cat for them.”

“I can’t be anyone’s pet. If I become anyone’s pet they will probably fall in love with me and when I have to leave and go back home…”

“You’ll break their heart. Well, I guess you’ll just have to stay up here until you leave.”

“I guess.”

Wilbur glanced at his watch and stood up. “It’s suppertime so I’ll see you later. I’ll bring you something to eat when I’m finished.”

“No hurry. And Wilbur? Thanks,” Kolak smiled.

Inside, the Terwilleger family all sat around the dinner table as Wilbur’s sister, Nancy, talked about her day at school. Wilbur showed obvious disinterest in Nancy’s story.

“...And then, when I was in music class, I saw David walk past the door and he looked right at me!” she said in a shrill voice.

“Well, maybe he was looking at someone else. Your music class is pretty big…” Wilbur said, purposely trying to dash his sister’s dreams.

“He looked right at me because I heard later from my best friend’s cousin’s best friend’s girlfriend that David looked right at me as he walked by,” Nancy explained.

“Well, I’m glad you were able to verify that,” Wilbur sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.

“Leave her alone, Wilbur. How was your day at school?” asked his father.

“It was great. Alex threw up at recess and Trevor broke his collar bone. I also tripped Amy tripped twice and poured sand on her head. Principal Arevalo says ‘hello’ by the way,” Wilbur elaborated.

“Wilbur,” his mom sighed exasperatingly “why do you torment that girl?”

“Because he loves her,” Nancy mocked.

“Shut up! I do not! Girls are icky!” Wilbur shouted.

“Now everyone calm down,” Wilbur’s dad said, calmly. “There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why Wilbur, and boys in general, treat girls the way they do: one, they want to feel a sense of superiority; or two, because he loves her.”

“Dad!”

“I’m sorry but it’s cute. We and the Parkers are already planning the wedding,” Dad joked.

“Aargh!! Can I be excused?” Wilbur groaned.

“Yes, you can,” Mom answered.

“Can I take some meat out to Kolak?” Wilbur asked. “Maybe some milk or water, too?”

“Kolak? Is that the kitten? Where’d you come up with that name?” Nancy asked.

Wilbur loaded some meat and vegetables onto a plate. “I didn’t come up with it. It’s his name.”

“So the cat has a home?” asked Dad.

“No,” Wilbur said.

“Then how’d you come up with the name Kolak?” Mom demanded.

“He just looked like a Kolak, like I look like a Wilbur and Nancy looks like a horse,” Wilbur got up from the dinner table with the plate and went outside. He climbed up the tree to the tree house and placed the food in front of Kolak. “I brought you some turkey. Hope you like all this,” Wilbur motioned to the food on the plate.

“Thank you, Wilbur,” Kolak kneeled down and began chewing the turkey.

“Can I ask you a question, Kolak?” asked Wilbur.

“Of course.”

“What do those jewels on your collar do?” Wilbur asked, referring to the six crystals upon the collar around Kolak’s neck.

“Every citizen of Juriorty has one and each crystal does something different. Green can create anything you desire; white can translate and decipher any language; blue has infinite knowledge; yellow can morph you into anything; red is a communicator and black, well, black should never be used.”

Wilbur looked out the tree house window to the house next door. “I think I know how you can stay close to me but have a true home,” Wilbur exclaimed.